ArticleSkin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI)2020
Placebo-controlled dose-effect studies with topical minoxidil 2% or 5% in male-patterned hair loss treated with oral finasteride employing an analytical and exhaustive study protocol.
Article in Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Hair regrowth treatment efficacy and resistance in androgenetic alopecia: A systematic review and continuous Bayesian network meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Pooled it
- A 6-Month Prospective, Open-Label, Randomized Study Showing Increased Hair Growth Rate in Women Using Multi-Targeting Hair Growth Nutraceuticals.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Article
- Hair Longevity-Evidence for a Multifactorial Holistic Approach to Managing Hair Aging Changes.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Comparing Current Therapeutic Modalities of Androgenic Alopecia: A Literature Review of Clinical Trials.Cureus · 2023Review
- Relative Efficacy of Minoxidil and the 5-α Reductase Inhibitors in Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment of Male Patients: A Network Meta-analysis.JAMA dermatology · 2022Article
- Following historical "tracks" of hair follicle miniaturisation in patterned hair loss: Are elastin bodies the forgotten aetiology?Experimental dermatology · 2022Article
- Sex differences in clinical trials of ALRV5XR treatment of androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Placebo-controlled dose-effect studies with topical minoxidil 2% or 5% in male-patterned hair loss treated with oral finasteride employing an analytical and exhaustive study protocol.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDrug trials for male-pattern hair loss (MPHL) did not investigate hair cycling. MATERIALS AND
methodsMale-pattern hair loss volunteers (n = 22) took oral finasteride 1 mg daily with randomly either MTS5% or control lotion (1 mL/d). After 12 months on oral drug, 14 were randomized for a dose-effect study of topical minoxidil 2% or 5%. Each 3-month "on-lotion" was followed by a 3-month "off-lotion."
resultsExogen release and anagen initiation from pre-existing but functionally deficient follicles occurred mainly during combined dug treatment. Anagen initiation by topical minoxidil 5% could not be maintained by oral finasteride. As compared with control males, the compound index of hair growth raised from 30% at baseline up to 60% within 3 months of combined drug regimen which is better than oral drug only (no change) but still far beyond normalization of productivity (considered as 100%). There was no obvious transformation of miniaturized hair follicles into terminal hair-producing follicles, and the activation of miniaturized hair follicles was not clinically relevant (slow growth and short duration of anagen).
conclusionsBenefit with oral finasteride and topical 5% minoxidil (1 mL, 1 per day) resulted from initiation of anagen in deficient terminal follicles without increased growth rates.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.